Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-08
On Grover cleHeland's Message
The IlluStriOuS Statesman Sees Many Holes
In the Presidential Skinner.
NEW YORK. Dec. !.

/ htAN itI Ish III Tie
States in consequence of President recon-
mendations. Perhaps that fact stamps char
acter of the message more clearly than any
words of mine can. They simply mean
that the President has recommended what
in the nited States is known as revenue
tariff only, rejecting protective features as
/ the object, not even permitting protection
to result freely as incident 10 revenue
duties. This is the first time in the history
of the nited States that the president
has recommended retaining Internal reVe-
nue. tax that the tariff be forced down even
below a fair revenue standard. He recon-
mends that the tax on tobacco he retained,
thus many millions annually to be levied
on domestic product, which can far better
come from tariff on foreign fabrics.
should urge the repeal of the tobacco Ia X at
once. even before the Christmas holidays,
which would bring great relief to growers
of tobacco all over the country. and would
moreover materially lessen the price of the
article to consumers. Tobacco to millions
is a necessity; thePreSident calls it a lux
ury 1t is such a luxury as tea and coffee.
Watch men on farms. III coal mines, along
railroads. in iron foundries, in any calling
YOU will find % out OF every 100 chewing
while at work. After each meal about the
Ndtlit IibIoltloll stth spldtt Ol IL pipe OF
cigar. These men pay millions of tobacco
tax, pay on every plug or cigar an enhan-
ed price, which tax enables manufacturers
and retailers to impose. The only excuse
for such Il tax is the actual necessity
in which the government found itself
during the war and the Years Immediately
following to retain a tax. Now
to destroy the tariff which would in
cidentally flow, raising the same amount
of money on foreign imports, is certainly
a most extraordinary policy for our govern
ment.
would not advice the repeal of the
whiSkey tax, as there are other consider
ationS TO be taken into account in regard
to whskev. There is a moral side to it,
TO reduce the price of whiskey is to in
crease the consumption enormously.
There can be no sense in urging reform
wrought by high license in the several
states. if the national government neu-
tralize> the good effect by making whs-
key within the reach of everyone at 20
cents a gallon. Whiskey will be every
where distilled if the surveillance of the
government j. withdrawn by the rems-
sion of the tax. Illicit sales could not
theu be prevented even by policy as
vigorous and searching aS that with which
Russia pursues nihilsts. 1t would des-
| troy high license at once in all the
States. Whiskcy has done "A vast amount
of harm in the United States. | would
make it do some good. | would use the
tax to fortify cities on the seaboard In
view of the powerful letter addressed to
the democratic party on the subject of
/ fortitications by the late Samuel J. rilden
/ in lSS5 am amazed that no attention is
/ paid to the subject by the democratic
/ administration. Never before in the his
tory of the world has any government al
! lowed the great cities on the seaboard.
! like Philadelphia, New York, Boston.
Baltimore, New Orleans and San Francis
60, to remain defenscless. After fortifica-
tionS were constructed would still main
] tain the tax on whishey. So long as there is
whiskey to tax | would. and when the no.
| tiodal government had no use for the
money would divide the tax among the
federal union with the specific object of
I tightening the tax on real estate. The
houses and farms of the whole country
pay too large proportion of the total
taxes. If. ultimately. relief could be Civ
en- in that direction. it would in my iudg-
ment be wise and heneficient policy
Some honest but misguided friends of
temperance have urged that the govern
! If'Ht Silbliil Ubl USE IIlf money derived
/ from the tax on whiskey. NV reply is
that the tax on whiskey by the federal
I government with the suppression of all
| illicit diStillation and the consequent en-
hancement in the price has been a power
ful agent in temperance reform by putting
it beyond the reach of so many. The
amount of whiskey consumed in the Uni
ted States per capita today is not more
than 10 per cent of that consumed thirty
Years ago The whisky tax should be so
modified a. to permit all who use pure
alcohol in the arts or mechanical pursuits
to have il free. In all such eases the tax
could be omitted without danger to fraud.
Just a. now the tax on spirits exported is
remitted. | should seriously object to
the repeal of the duty on wool. 1t would
work great injustice to many interests and
seriously discourage what we should ear
ne.tly encourage. namely sheep culture
among the farmers. If the Presi-
dents recommendations should be adopt
ed it would possibly increase the export
4 trade in as few articles of peculiar con
I -truction but it would increase tine import
tralle tenfold in the great staple fabrics,
woolen and cotton goods. iron. steel in
all the thousand and one shapes in which
( they are wrought. How are we to export
= ~liplt ltbllt~ 10 iidI hti- III Europe unless
we make them cheaper than they do in
Europe, and how are We to manufacture
them cheaper unless we get cheaper labor
/ The question of labor underlies the whole
subject. 1t is in fact the entire question.
/ Whenever we can force carpenters, ma
sons. iron workers and mechanics in every
department to work cheaply and to live
poorly in the United States as similar
workmen in Europe, we can of course
manufacture just as cheaply as they do.
but am totally opposed to a policy that
would entail such results. To attempt il
would be equivalent TO a social aud fnan-
cial revolution that would briug untold
misery. The moment You begin to im-
ort freely from Europe YOU drive
our workmen from tine mechanical
and manufacturing pursuits to tillers of
the soil increasing steadily the agricultu.
raj and producing interests .and decreasing
the home demand which constantly en-
larges a. the home manufactures enlarge.
This works great injury to the farmer
by Cutting the market with his products
tending constantly to lower prices. The
tendency in Russia and the Asiatic pos
sessions of England is toward large in
crease in the grain supply, grain being
raised by the cheapest possible labor
The manufacturing countries will buy
breadstuffs where they can get the cheap
est and enlarging the home market
for the American farmer, who. beine
checked, he would search in vain fol
one of the same value. Foreign sales are
already checked by the great competition
abroad. There ne yer was time whel
the increase of large home market wa
50 valuable. The best proof is the farm
er's prosperity in proportion to the near
ness of manufacturing centers. The pro
ries. In Ohio and Indiana the annua
value of fabrics is larger than the annua
value of..agriculture. | don't mean to i'm
ply that there should be no reduction OF
the national surplus. would reduce i
by prompt repeal of the tobacco tax
would make some changes ii
the tariff: not reduce protection